Truss



Nov. so, 1948. PF; 1 2,454,833

TRUS 5 Filed July .13, 1946 INVENTOR.

-BY m'l1 riCPfahZ.

Registered Nov. 30, 1948 STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUSS Wilbert o. Pfahl, Silver Lake, Ohio Application July '13, 1946, Serial No. 683,521

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to trusses and particularly relates to a device for attaching a truss pad to'a truss frame.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for attaching truss pads to a supporting frame or spring, wherein after angular adjustment is made with respect to the frame the pad may be locked in adjusted position in such a way that it cannot be tampered with or accidentally misadjusted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a truss pad attachment of the character described which is adapted to be supplied in assembled condition and to have the angular adjustment made without taking the attaching assembly apart.

Other objects of the invention will 'be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front perspective view of a truss embodying the features of the improved attaching device of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation on an enlarged scale, of a frame having a truss pa attached thereto.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-section taken substantiall on the line 44 of Figure 2. 1

Figure 5 is a View taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 4, illustrating the inner side of the truss pad attaching plate.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating a truss pad attached to a different style of supporting frame or spring.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a truss ill of the type used for the treatment of hernias or ruptures, the same including essentially a metal supporting frame or spring ll, adapted to fit around the abdomen of the wearer with rearwardly free ends 12 and I3 adjustably connected, as by means of a suitable strap l4, truss pads l5, l5 being adjustably mounted at the front of the spring frame to be in position for holding the hernia or rupture. The truss pads l5, [5 may be of sponge rubber or other suitable material, formed in different shapes and sizes as required for particular conditions of'truss wearers, the same being laterally and angularly adjustable with respect to spring frame I by means of an attaching unit or assembly l6 thereon.

7 Referring particularly to Figures 2 to the attaching unit [6 may include a backing plate ll adapted to be releasably secured to pad l5, by means of screws l9, l9 received through spaced apertures 20, 20 in the plate and threaded into a metal insert 2| vulcanized or otherwise embedded in the rubber of pad l5. To provide for the forementioned lateral and angular adjustment of pad l5 relatively of frame H, the plate H is provided centrally thereof with a relatively large opening 22, and outer and inner disc-like clamping elements 23 and 24, respectively, which are of greater diameters than that of the opening 26 for spanning between the edge portions thereof, at opposite sides of the plate (see Figures 3, 4 and 5). For laterally adjustably securing the attaching unit It and the pad thereon to the spring frame M, an arched metal bridge I 8 is engageable across the inner side of the frame and screws 29, 29 may be received through spaced apertures l8a, 48a therein to be outwardly of opposite edges of the frame, these screws then extending through spaced apertures 25, 25 in outer disc 23, through the large plate aperture 22 and being screwed into registering threaded holes 28 in the inner disc 24. Looking screws 30, 30 for the clamping discs are similarly received from the inner side of the backing plate [7, through spaced apertures 21, 21 in the inner disc 24, circumferentially spaced from the thread-ed apertures 28, 28, and then extended through the plate aperture 22 and threaded into the correspondingly aligned holes 26, 26 in the outer disc 23. The screws 29 and 30 are diametrically opposite- ,ly' spaced in such a manner that engagement In the use or operation of the attaching unit- IG, to fit each truss pad IE to suit the particular condition of a hernia or rupture sufferer, the pad I5 may be supplied with the attaching unit l6 completely assembled thereon but with the inner screws 30, 30 adjusted to apply relatively light clamping pressure to the discs 23 and 24 to permit angular or rotational adjustment thereof with respect to the backing plate H, but this clamping pressure being sufficient to retain the clamping disc in any given position of such angular or rotational adjustment. With the pad 

